Expansible band with tubular inner and outer links, the inner links having guiding and stop flanges



July 10, 1956 s. GERSTENBLITH EXPANSIBLE] BAND WITH TUBULAR INNER AND OUTER LINKS, THE INNER LINKS HAVING GUIDING AND STOP FLANGES Filed June 3, 1954 FIG.2

FIG. 3

; 7 v ATTORNEY Fl 6 INVENTOR FIG 9 United States Patent EXPANSIBLE BAND WITH TUBULAR INNER AND OUTER LINKS, THE INNER LINKS HAVING GUIDING AND STOP FLANGES Simon Gerstenblith, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Finesse Wristlet, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 3, 1954, Serial No. 434,279

8 Claims. (Cl. 59-79) This invention relates to flexible and expansible bracelets and, more particularly, to an improved and simplified bracelet construction which can be assembled with greater speed and economy.

, Flexible bracelets of the type to which the present invention is directed comprise a plurality of hollow links including hollow shells and connectors slidably telescoped in the shells and interconnecting adjacent shells. The links are held in assembled relation by spring means extending therethrough.

When a single spring is used to hold all the links in assembled relation, difliculty is experienced in maintaining the links in properly spaced relation to each other. A pull exerted at one point on the bracelet will stretch the spring at that point but will leave the rest of he spring substantially unstressed, so that a part of the spring may be stretched beyond its elastic limit. A break in the spring anywhere along its length completely destroys the resilient contractibility of the bracelet, thus destroying its usefulness.

To avoid these difficulties, expansible bracelets, particularly of the better class, have been assembled with a plurality of individual springs, each individual spring being active between a pair of adjacent telescoping link elements. This type of construction, while efiective, has been unduly complicated to assemble and the component parts have been expensive to fabricate.

Accordingly, a further type of construction has been developed employing only a single spring for the entire bracelet and involving the anchoring of each link to a fixed point on the spring. The links are thus held in fixed position on the spring, and are thus always maintained in properly spaced relation. More importantly, the tension on the spring, when the bracelet is expanded, is divided substantially uniformly between several spring sections each interconnecting adjacent links.

Various forms of anchoring arrangements for the individual links have been proposed, involving special shapes of the shells or connectors or the use of anchors secured to each link. However, the arrangements proposed hitherto, while satisfactory in operatiom. have involved considerable expense in fabrication and assembly.

In view of this, the present invention is directed to a novel expansible bracelet of the type in which the several links are individually anchored at spaced points along a single spring. The bracelet comprises a plurality of hollow connectors, which may be rectangular in cross section, a plurality of hollow shells which may also be rectangular in cross section, and an anchor of sheet material having integral lug means struck therefrom to engage between adjacent convolutions of a coil spring on which the connectors and shells are strung in telescoped relation.

The connectors are bent to hollow form from suitable sheet material and have outwardly projecting stops on each end. The connectors are then strung along a coil spring extending therethrough. The shells are likewise 2,753,682 Patented July 10, 1956 formed of sheet metal and are initially bent. to a channel shape with inturned lips on the ends of the flanges coactible with the stops on the connectors. The flanges, on one end are cut away to form shoulders at the upper ends of the lips.

The anchor comprises a substantially flat strip stamped from sheet metal of substantially the same area as the inside base of the shell. This strip has a recess cut in one end defining a pair of extensions or legs formed with abutments or pimples arranged to engage the aforementioned lips and provide a recess. Slightly inwardly from this recess, a forked tongue is bent substantially normal to the plane of the strip. At the other end of the strip, the corners are cut away and abutments or pimples formed to position this end of the strip on the upper end of the shell lips at this end.

Each shell is first slipped over a pair of adjacent conductors which are preferably spaced somewhat from each other. The anchor is then set into the shell on top of the connectors, with the tongue extending therebetween to engage between adjacent spring convolutions, and with the anchor legs, at one end, and tab, at the other end, resting on top the lips of the shell. The shell flanges are then closed over the anchor to complete the assembly.

The anchor tongue locks each shell to the spring and serves as an abutment limiting movement of the connectors into the shell. When the bracelet is expanded, one connector has only a slight outward movement in the shell before its stops contact with the shell lips. The other connector, which has been substantially fully telescoped into the shell, may move nearly its full length out of the shell before its stops engage the shell lips at the other end of the shell. The spring, being firmly anchored to adjacent shells, has its individual portions between link anchor lugs substantially equally stressed.

For a better understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partial top plan view of an expansible bracelet embodying the invention, in the contacted condition;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the bracelet expanded;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of a plurality of connectors assembled on a coil spring;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a shell;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of an anchor;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views of the anchor; taken on the correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the assembly of a shell and anchor on a connector;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 10--10 of'Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view on the lines 11-11 of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawing, the expansible bracelet 15 of the invention comprises a plurality of flexibly interconnected links including shells 20 and connectors 30 telescopically slidable in the shells. The shells and connectors are elongated, hollow members, preferably rectangular in cross-section and substantially equal in length. The links are held in assembled relation by a single coil spring 40 to which the links are anchored, at spaced points therealong, by anchors 50 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8).

The connectors 30 are bent to form a rectangular cross section tube, being formed from sheet metal which may be decoratively finished on its outer surface by plating or the like. At each end, each connector has ears 35 projecting outwardly from its normally vertical end edges and formed with outwardly directed extensions substantially parallel to the shell side walls. A number of connectors 30, corresponding to the desired bracelet length, are assembled along spring 40 as an initial bracelet assembly step (Fig. 3).

Shells 20 are likewise bent from sheet metal decoratively finished on its outer surface. Each shell 20 is initially bent to a channel shape including a base 21 and flanges 22. Flanges 22 are somewhat longer than base 21 so as to leave projecting portions at each end which are bent inwardly at right angles to flanges 2?. to form lips 25. Lips 25 have a length substantially equal to that of ears 35 of connectors 30. At one end of each shell 20, flanges 22 are cut away or recessed above lips 25, as indicated at 23 to form shoulders on the upper edges of the lips.

The upper edges of lips 25 form seats for one end of anchor 59. Referring to Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the anchor is stamped from sheet metal to have an overall length and width corresponding to the inside dimensions of channel base 21. At one end, anchor 50 is formed with legs or extensions 51 defining a recess 52. A slight distance inwardly from this end, a forked tongue 55 is struck out perpendicularly from the anchor. This tongue has legs 56 defining a recess 57, and is arranged to slip over and between adjacent convolutions of spring 40. At the opposite end of the anchor, the corner edges are cut out, as at 53, and pimples 54 are formed just inwardly of cutouts 53. The cutouts 53 define a short tab 58.

The assembly of the bracelet will be best understood from reference to Figs. 9 through 11. Referring to these figures, each shell 20, in the upwardly open position, is slid over a pair of connectors 3i), in the inverted position. With the ears 35 of one connector engaged with the lips 25 of the shell, and the adjacent connector slightly spaced from the one connector, anchor 50 is placed on top of the connectors with tongue 55 projecting over spring 4-4 and between adjacent convolutions thereof and between the two connectors. Pimples or abutments on the legs 51- of the anchor engage the upper ends of lips 25 at one end of the shell, and tab 58 extends over the lips 25 at the other end, with pimples 54 engaging lips 25 to position the anchor. are then bent inwardly to close the shells and lock the parts in place.

As so assembled, the ends of adjacent connectors 30 are separated. by tongue 55 so that the left connector (Fig. 11) has only limited sliding movement in the shell. The right connector (Fig. 10), however, can move nearly its full length relative to shell 20. Stated more generally, one end of each connector is substantially locked in a shell and the other length of each connector is freely slidable, for nearly its full length, in the next adjacent shell.

Normally, the bracelet 15' is contracted, as shown in Figs. 1, 9, l and 11. When the bracelet is stretched, a right hand connector (Fig. will move outwardly of its shell and the left connector move only a short distance until its cars 35 engage'lips 25'. Spring 40 will be streched, in individual, equally stressed increments, between the tongues 55 anchored in adjacent shells 20. Should the spring break, the links are still retained assembled due to their individual and independent anchoring to the spring.

The ends of flanges 22 above lips 25' While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. An expansible bracelet comprising, in combination, a plurality of links including hollow elongated shells and hollow elongated connectors, said connectors being telescopically slidable in said shells and interconnecting adjacent shells while providing for lengthwise relative movement of said shells; each shell having a substantially flat wall extending between substantially parallel side walls, the side walls having inturned lips at each end, the edges of said lips terminating short of said flat wall; each connector having side walls substantially parallel to the shell side walls; the connector side walls having ears at each end extending laterally outwardly toward the shell side walls; said ears having extensions extending outwardly from the outer ends thereof parallel to the shell side walls; and in surface engagement with the shell side walls to guide the connectors for sliding movement in the shells; said ears having surface engagement with the inner surfaces of said lips to limit movement of the connectors relative to the shells While said extensions remain in surface contact with the shell side walls inwardly of said lips; a helical spring threaded through said links; a generally flat anchor in each shell superposed on said substantially flat wall and supported at one end on the edges of said lips, and at the other end on the ears and extensions of one of said connectors; means on each anchor engaging the inner surfaces of said lips to hold the anchor fixed longitudinally of the associated shell; and means on each anchor engaged with said spring to anchor the associated shell to said spring.

2. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said anchors extend longitudinally of the shells.

3. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said last-named means is integral with its associated anchor.

4. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said last-named means forms an abutment separating the adjacent ends of connectors in each shell.

5. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim .1 wherein the means for engaging said lips is integral with the anchor and engages at least a pair of said lips to position each anchor longitudinally of its shell.

6. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said shells are channel shape and the outer portions of the flanges are folded over the anchor to form said substantially flat wall and to retain the anchor seated on said lips.

7. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 1 in which said last-named means includes a lug having a forked free end engageable over said spring and extending between adjacent. convolutions thereof.

8. An expansible bracelet as claimed in claim 7 in which said lug is adjacent one end of said anchor.

Bender Aug. 26, 1952 

